Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks: Bucks looking for ‘true nature’
Remember when everyone said the Bucks might overtake the Hawks this season? Maybe it still happens but Milwaukee is 3-5 and couldn’t find much offense until shooting 53 percent to beat the Knicks 107-80 last night.
Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel thinks that was “the first real hint of their true nature,” just in time for the Hawks:
How long does it, or should it, take for an NBA team to disclose its real identity?
“I wouldn’t want to put a time frame on it,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. “I don’t know what the true nature of the team would be yet.”
For this group, it wouldn’t be the bricklayers who were 30th out of 30 teams in scoring and 29th in shooting percentage on the way to a 2-5 start, with seven of the nine in the rotation missing more than six of every 10 shots taken.
But Skiles noted the Bucks are ahead of his schedule defensively. Defense, of course, is what made the Bucks a tough out for the Hawks in the East semis last spring even without Bogut, a capable post defender.
Tonight will be a good chance to see how Atlanta’s new offensive approach works against a rugged defensive team. It worked pretty well against Orlando but Milwaukee plays a different style.
“They are a dangerous team,” L.D. said. “It’s just a matter of time before they get it clicking. It’s going to be a physical game. I told our guys, the first words out of my mouth were ‘playoff intensity.’ Skiles’ teams in the past have always been physical teams, so we have to be prepared for a physical game.”
Not his policy
L.D. said he’s not married to the strategy of keeping Al on the bench when he gets two fouls in the first half. It’s just sort of worked out that way.
“What has happened with that, Al has gotten two fouls, but the team had been playing well,” Drew said. “They were in a little bit of a rhythm. Had it been the other way around, I would have put him back in. I had sent him back to the scorer’s table in the second quarter [at Orlando], but I pulled him back because the team had started to get in a rhythm and a flow.”
So L.D said it’s not necessarily going to be something he does all of the time. In fact, he said he’d like to leave Al and the other starters out there in those situations so they can get accustomed to it.
“I want our guys to learn to play with two fouls,” he said. “I don’t want guys to think every time they get two fouls, they are coming out the game.”
Injury report
Mo participated in the shootaround today and is set for a full-contact practice tomorrow. If all goes well he could return to play Friday against Utah.
Marvin also participated in shootaround and was “moving very well,” Drew said, but he’s not expected to practice tomorrow.
Drew said the lineup shuffling necessary due to the lack of small forwards has been “OK” but he’s playing Josh and J.J. more minutes than he’d like. Joe has played 40-plus in five of the last six games. Smoove hasn’t played quite as many minutes but L.D. notes the rotation out of whack because when Joe goes he has to leave Josh in until Joe returns
Another possibility broached by L.D.: playing Teague, Bibby and Jamal together to “buy some time,” though L.D. said the Hawks would have to play zone defense with that lineup to avoid being hurt by post-ups.
“We’ve been piecing it together,” Drew said.
Carlos Delfino is out for the Bucks.
MC
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270 comments Add your comment
Wabe
November 10th, 2010
9:41 pm
Teague can be pretty solid.
He’s fighting himself.
No excuse for the lack of minutes or anything like that. He needs to make more of the minutes he gets. *IF* he plays the way he played in garbage time tonight with the minutes he has, his minute total will definitely increase.
But, he doesn’t play loose. He plays to not mess things up. Again, if he plays fearless, he’d be a more viable threat.
Hawks v Bucks
November 10th, 2010
9:41 pm
Utah about to come from behind to win again (against the Magic but this time they were only down 10 at the half) I’d say these Hawks that are playing now might be in some trouble on Friday if they don’t get their act together, if not 6-4 is staring them right in the face.
superiorblogman
November 10th, 2010
9:42 pm
I think Al Horford is gay because he is way soft
Najeh Davenpoop
November 10th, 2010
9:43 pm
“Give JT0 the nod as the starter with the 1st unit. This isn’t to reward the kid for anything, nor is it a knock on Bibby. But, balance things out. Give Teague the opportunity to run with the starters, and add another reliable plug into the bench with Bibby. Bibby could provide some stability, and another offensive option off the bench. ”
I can see where you’re coming from, but until Teague proves that he can play with the starters the way he plays with the scrubs, doing that is not going to benefit the Hawks. I can’t see a scenario where Teague will play his best starting next to Joe Johnson right now. He needs to man up mentally before that is a viable option.
Jorge
November 10th, 2010
9:43 pm
By the way, thank goodness that the Jazz did us a favor by handing the Magic and Heat a loss, otherwise we’d be falling in the standings a lot quicker.
bigdave
November 10th, 2010
9:43 pm
Jeff defers b/c he’s not a shot maker..
Atl 2010
November 10th, 2010
9:46 pm
Was this a scrimmage game?
Was this a scrimmage game?
Was this a scrimmage game?
Was this a scrimmage game?
Was this a scrimmage game?
Was this a scrimmage game?
About 500 people at the game!!!!
About 500 people at the game!!!!
About 500 people at the game!!!!
About 500 people at the game!!!!
When are we going to start the starters for the Hawks?
When are we going to start the starters for the Hawks?
When are we going to start the starters for the Hawks?
When are we going to start the starters for the Hawks?
shannon
November 10th, 2010
9:50 pm
We finally play three playoff team and we lose three straight…Is ASG really satisfied with this group?
~~MAC-ToWN~~ (Area Code 478 Westside Macon)
November 10th, 2010
10:03 pm
Not too long ago, Dallas lost to Memphis. Tonight Dallas is beating them by nearly 20. Lets not hang our heads too much on this one lost. It could be totally different next game, we know we’re better than this and it looks like Drew is willing to learn from his own mistakes and adjust unlike Mike Woodson.
Atlanta Fawks
November 10th, 2010
10:12 pm
THIS IS THE SAME TEAM AS PAST 4 YEARS…..
Why should I be excited about these Atlanta Hawks?
Brandon
November 10th, 2010
10:15 pm
Just out of curiosity, does it annoy anyone else that Larry Drew rewards his bench players with so many more minutes than most other coaches when they have yet to really prove that they deserve them?
I just wonder if I’m alone here. Outside of Joe Johnson, no other starter really is guaranteed big minutes on any given night. Starters play bigger minutes for a reason, they deserve them in most cases. My mind is still boggled by the fact that L.D. has Al Horford playing less than 30 minutes per night. If I were Horford, I’d feel disrespected and underappreciated. On the other hand, if I were a bench player, I’d be ecstatic. When Marvin Williams returns, I hope L.D. ends his love affair with the bench.
cp
November 10th, 2010
10:15 pm
Sund did a terrible job of upgrading the talent on this roster…..I’m all for trading Jamal right now. He plays no defense and there is no ball movement when he is in the game. I rather just throw Teague and JC2 out there. They seem to play well together… Pachulia is absolutely the worst finishing big I have ever seen. Dude has blown so many easy opportunities at the rim that its disgusting… Josh Powell has Sheldon Williams Esq hands. Dude is solid but he shoots way to many jumpers and fumbles about as many easy passes as ZaZa….If the rumor about Nash is true then Sund needs to come off his vacation and go ahead and get it done…We need that type of leadership on the floor because the guys we got now just seem to go through the motions.
Section 303
November 10th, 2010
10:20 pm
BOOOOO!!! BOOOOO!!! BOOOOOO!!!
What a piece of crap organization we cheer for. I was really upset that I missed attending tonight’s game. Now, I’m really glad I was not there.
I guess these clowns were too busy patting themselves on the back for not losing to Orlando by 100pts, again. Well, congrats, d-bags!
Gordon
November 10th, 2010
10:27 pm
cp, I agree with your comments on Jamal and Zaza. Hopefully, the trade rumors involving the Pistons’ Tayshaun Prince in a package deal for Jamal and a scrub are not false. We could definitely use a defensive minded wing who plays with heart and maturity. Plus, prince is versatile enough to guard positions 2-4 and he’s definitely serviceable on offense, as well.
Ben Hill, Been Real
November 10th, 2010
10:27 pm
Boy do the Jazz look like William T. Sherman of the South! Guess who’s next up?
darrell starks
November 10th, 2010
11:16 pm
ZAZA AND JAMAL FOR PRINCE WHAT IN THE WORLD THIS BLOG IS SMOKING.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
November 10th, 2010
11:19 pm
PISTON 2-6 HAWKS 6-3 GO FIGURE.
HOW IN THE WORLD PRINCE MAKE THE HAWKS BETTER
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!
The Truth
November 11th, 2010
12:23 am
How is it that Josh Smith playing the SF/PF had more rebounds (8) than Al Horford playing the C/PF(6)? Can anybody on this team get a rebound? The Bucks total rebound was 44, the Hawks total rebound was 32. For the last 3 games, our worst quarter has been the 3rd. What is LD preaching in the locker room? What ever it is, it’s not uplifting. We lost this game because:
The Bucks bench is better than the Hawks bench. But worst, our bench sucked tonight
A shout-out to Zaza, he sucked even worst
Jamal is playing uninspired ball resulting in little offense and a liability on defense
JJ started hot ended cold, back to hog ball again, too many jumpers not enough FT
Al Horford is emerging to be consistent offense but little else
Bibby, no preparation and it showed
Josh Smith got discouraged in the 3rd and lost interest
Note to Josh Powell: Because you played for the Lakers with rings doesn’t make you a superstar; more is required than just offense.
We need a blue-collar worker
Brazil Boy
November 11th, 2010
12:21 pm
@The Truth. Zaza was terrible? Look at his line last night. Did you know he has a team-high 16 points (6-7 FG, 4-6 FT). Sure he could have had more than 5 rebounds, but geez, why are you being so critical. He is a solid sub off the bench. Trade Jamal!
Everett Rupert
November 11th, 2010
12:30 pm
Being a Bucks fan, I’m happy they won, but I expected a lot more fight out of the Hawks. Remember, It was just one game in a long season. By the way, why didn’t the Hawks hold onto Childress? He surely would have addressed the small forward issue.